December 2012

PIC Releases Preliminary Public Ticketing Information for The Inaugural BallNew Webpage Will Allow Americans Across the Country to Sign Up for Information About How to Purchase Public Tickets

WASHINGTON – Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced plans to make a limited number of tickets for The Inaugural Ball available to the general public with the launch of a webpage where individuals can sign up for information about how to purchase tickets. Those who sign up will receive an email notification when tickets become available with a link where they can request up to two tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. The email sign-up page can be found here.

The second Inaugural of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will feature two official Inaugural balls on Monday, January 21st. In addition to the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball for members of the U.S. military, Americans from across the country will be invited to share in the celebration at The Inaugural Ball, a unified celebration for all Americans that will span every hall in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“The President and Vice President’s second Inaugural will continue their commitment to giving Americans from across the country the chance to share in this celebration,” said Stephen J. Kerrigan, President and CEO of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. “Additionally, by holding a smaller number of Inaugural balls in a centralized location, we are continuing a more than 200-year-old tradition while reducing the burden on local law enforcement and security personnel, as well as on DC residents.”

Public tickets to The Inaugural Ball are limited and will cost $60 each. In keeping with tradition and the President and Vice President’s commitment to honoring the brave men and women of the nation’s armed forces, tickets to the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball will be provided free of charge to invited members of the U.S. military.

Additional details and ticketing information for The Inaugural Ball and other Inaugural weekend events will be released as soon as they become available.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced additional organizations that have accepted invitations to march in the 57th Inaugural Parade.

The full list of organizations that have accepted an invitation to march in the historic parade, including the more than twenty groups announced yesterday, can be found HERE.

“The talented groups chosen to participate in the Inaugural Parade reflect the spirit, values, and diversity of our great nation,” said President Obama. “Vice President Biden and I are honored to have them join us in the parade.”

Participants in the parade will follow the traditional route down Pennsylvania Avenue from 4th Street past the White House. President Obama and Vice President Biden, along with their families, will watch the parade from the reviewing stand across from Lafayette Park.

Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted online applications to the Joint Task Force – National Capital Region (JTF-NCR). The deadline for submissions was November 30, 2012. Applications were reviewed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee with the assistance of the JTF-NCR, including members of several of the military bands, who used their expertise to help assess the presentation skill of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.

All participants in the Inaugural Parade are responsible for paying their own lodging and transportation to and from Washington, D.C. The PIC has been working closely with area governments and civic organizations to facilitate access to affordable accommodations.

Invitations are being made and accepted as part of an ongoing process, so please check the website for further additions to the list.

PIC Announces First Wave of Organizations to Participate in 57th Inaugural Parade

WASHINGTON – Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) officially announced the first wave of organizations who have accepted invitations to march in the 57th Inaugural Parade.

A list of the organizations that have already accepted an invitation to march in the historic parade following the President Obama and Vice President Biden’s swearing-in can be found HERE. Invitations are being made and accepted as part of an ongoing process, so please check back for rolling additions to this list.

“The talented groups chosen to participate in the Inaugural Parade reflect the spirit, values, and diversity of our great nation,” said President Obama. “Vice President Biden and I are honored to have them join us in the parade.”

Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted online applications to the Joint Task Force – National Capital Region (JTF-NCR). The deadline for submissions was November 30, 2012.

Applications were reviewed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee with the assistance of the JTF-NCR, including members of several of the military bands, who used their expertise to help assess the presentation skill of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.

All told, more than 2,800 applications were submitted to the JTF-NCR website – more than double the over 1,380 organizations that applied to take part in President Obama’s first inauguration.

All participants in the Inaugural Parade are responsible for paying their own lodging and transportation to and from Washington, D.C. The PIC has been working closely with area governments and civic organizations to facilitate access to affordable accommodations.

The Inaugural Parade in History

The origin of the Inauguration Day parade dates back to George Washington’s inauguration in 1789. On his way from Mount Vernon to the inaugural event in New York City, Washington was accompanied by local militias on the way to Federal Hall where the first inauguration was held.

When the ceremony moved to the newly established capital city of Washington, Thomas Jefferson charted the modern day parade route in 1805 when he rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House after being sworn in for his second term. What began as a spontaneous processional behind Jefferson of local workers and a Marine band has evolved into an inaugural tradition stretching down Pennsylvania Avenue every four years. Since Jefferson, nearly every Presidential inauguration has featured a parade. In 1985, freezing temperatures led organizers to cancel Ronald Reagan’s inaugural parade and most public festivities.

James Madison’s inauguration in 1809 was the first year the parade was formally part of the inaugural occasion. The earliest inaugural parades served as military escorts for incoming Presidents to the swearing in ceremony and soon expanded to include floats by Martin Van Buren’s inauguration in 1837, and grew to include thousands of participants. At Abraham Lincoln’s 1865 inaugural parade African-Americans participated for the first time, and Lincoln famously shook hands with 6,000 people as he was sworn in for his second term. As crowds grew even larger for the inaugural event, President Ulysses S. Grant set a precedent by constructing a reviewing stand at the White House where he watched the processional in 1873.

Since then, instead of serving as a procession to the Capitol, the parade has followed Jefferson’s course from the swearing in ceremony to the White House. In 1909 Helen Herron Taft accompanied her husband President William Howard Taft in the parade, and women were first participants in the parade as part of Woodrow Wilson’s second inauguration in 1917.

In recent years, the parade has averaged two hours in length. The record for the longest and largest parade is held by President Dwight Eisenhower, whose inaugural parade lasted four and a half hours and included 73 bands and 59 floats, some of which featured artistic depictions of events in Eisenhower’s life. President Warren Harding was the first President to proceed down Pennsylvania Avenue in a car in 1921, and Jimmy Carter modified the tradition by walking from the Capitol to the White House.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee Announces National Prayer Service at Washington National CathedralLeaders Spanning Diverse Faiths to Participate in Interfaith Event

WASHINGTON– On Tuesday, January 22 at 10:30am, the day following their second Inaugural, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will participate in the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral. A tradition dating back to President George Washington, the National Prayer Service will include prayers, readings, blessings and hymns delivered by religious leaders from across the United States. The National Prayer Service takes place at the conclusion of Inaugural activities and will represent America’s diversity of faith and belief.

“The Inaugural Prayer Service is an historic observance that Washington National Cathedral is honored to host once again for President Barack Obama,” said the Very Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the Cathedral. “The Cathedral has come to be known as a spiritual home for the nation, and as part of living into that calling it is our prayer that the service will embody the hopes and vision of our nation, and that God’s purpose might shine forth with new clarity in our lives.”

“The beginning of President Obama’s second term will be marked by the acknowledgement and celebration of the role of people of faith in American life,” said Presidential Inaugural Committee Spokeswoman Addie Whisenant. “President Obama’s own faith has played an integral role in his life, his commitment to service and his presidency, and this important tradition will celebrate the values and diversity that make us strong.”

Attendance for the National Prayer Service is by invitation only and tickets are required. The service will also be webcast live at www.nationalcathedral.org. More information about the National Prayer Service, including program and participants, is forthcoming. For the latest updates on the 2013 Presidential Inauguration please visit www.2013pic.org.

SECRETARY OF THE STATE SEALS VOTE OF CONNECTICUT’S SEVEN ELECTORS FORDEMOCRATS BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

HARTFORD: Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today presided over the historic Electoral College vote in which Connecticut’s 7 Electors cast ballots for Democrats Barack Obama for President and Joe Biden for Vice President – making the re-election of this country’s first ever African-American President official. The Electoral College vote was held in the State Senate Chambers at the State Capitol in Hartford at noon and was attended by more than 100 students and other guests.

According to the U.S. Constitution, each state is awarded a number of electoral votes equal to its total number of representatives in Congress. With 2 U.S. Senators and 5 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Connecticut is awarded 7 Electoral votes. A slate of 7 Electors from Connecticut were actually chosen by their political party and then elected by voters on November 6, 2012. With a result of 905,083 votes to 634,892 votes, Connecticut voters chose to elect the Democratic Party Electors who had pledged to cast ballots for the Obama/Biden ticket.

The Electors cast their ballots for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden during a brief noontime ceremony in the Senate Chambers broadcast live on CTN with musical accompaniment provided by the Madrigal Singers of New Britain High School. The ballots were then wax sealed staff of the Secretary of the State’s office so they can be delivered to Congress, where a joint session of the House and Senate will take place on January 6, 2013 to officially count the ballots from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vice President Joe Biden will preside over that special joint session of Congress.

President Barack Obama defeated Republican candidate former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts by a total of 336 to 202 Electoral votes and will be sworn into office for another four-year term as the 44th President of the United States on Sunday January 20, 2013.

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett today announced the official meeting of the 2012 Presidential Electors to cast their Electoral College votes for President and Vice President of the United States.

The meeting Presidential Electors will be on Monday, December 17, 2012, at 11 a.m. on the 2nd floor behind the elevators in the Executive Tower. The media are invited to attend.

According to the provisions of law governing Presidential Elections the ballots must be cast on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December following the Presidential Election. Eleven electors are scheduled to cast their votes by signing a certificate of vote.

For more information on the Electoral College, visit the National Archive and Records Administration. (http://archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college)

The 2012 Republican Presidential Elector's are: Don Ascoli, State Representative Steve Montenegro, Paul Gilbert, Tom & Kristine Morrissey, Rev. C.T. Wright, Gila River Indian Community Gov. Gregory Mendoza, Rob Haney, Leona Johnston, John Rhodes and Malcolm Barrett, Jr. Secretary of State Bennett will administer the Oath of Office to the electors, and also witness the certificates. This event will officially conclude the 2012 election cycle.

Little Rock, Ark. – Presidential Electors met today at the State Capitol for the 2012 Electoral College to cast Arkansas’ six votes for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

The six Presidential Electors were selected by the state Republican Party at their July 28 State Convention in Hot Springs. There are four Congressional District Electors and two At-Large Electors. The Congressional District Electors are Benny Speaks of Mountain Home, Chairman Doyle Webb of Benton, Robin Lundstrum of Springdale and Larry Bailey of Hot Springs. At-Large Electors are Rep. Jonathan Barnett of Siloam Springs and Reta Hamilton of Bella Vista.

“It’s an honor and privilege to cast our vote on behalf of hardworking conservative Arkansans,” said State GOP Chairman Doyle Webb. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Electoral College as it was established by our Founding Fathers.”

Rep. Jonathan Barnett, who is also the Arkansas National Committeeman on the Republican National Committee (RNC), served as Chairman of the 2012 Electoral College.

In November, Romney won nearly 61 percent of the vote in Arkansas, earning the state’s six Electoral College votes.

Kentucky Electors Vote for President and Vice President of the United States

Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth gathered at the State Capitol today to observe Kentucky’s eight Presidential Electors cast their ballots for President and Vice President of the United States.

“The meeting of the electors is a special opportunity to see our democracy in action,” said Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. “It’s great to have people come together to witness our electors cast their votes on behalf of all Kentuckians.”

Pursuant to the United States Constitution, the President and Vice President are elected by the Electoral College, which is comprised of electors from each state. The number of electors allocated to each state is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives the state has in Congress.

Because Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan won Kentucky’s popular vote, Kentucky’s electors are those nominated by the Republican Party:

Throughout the United States, each state’s electors meet on the same day in their respective state capitals to cast their electoral votes. Kentucky is one of 24 states in which the electors are not required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote. Nonetheless, Romney and Ryan received all eight of Kentucky’s electors’ votes for President and Vice President, respectively.

The electors’ votes will be transmitted to the President of the U.S. Senate, who on January 8, 2013, will open and read before both houses of Congress the electoral votes from each state. The candidates with the most electoral votes will be declared the next President and Vice President of the United States.

The meeting was held in the Supreme Court’s Chambers in the State Capitol in Frankfort. In addition to Grimes, Sen. Damon Thayer welcomed the electors, and Professor Joshua A. Douglas from the University of Kentucky College of Law made remarks regarding the history of the electoral college. The ceremony also featured performances of The Star-Spangled Banner by Dr. Everett McCorvey, Director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, and My Old Kentucky Home by the Collins Lane Elementary Fifth Grade Select Ensemble.

Minnesota Electoral College Cast Ballots for United States President and Vice President Today

ST. PAUL, Minn.—December 17, 2012—Secretary of State Mark Ritchie presided over Minnesota’s 39th Electoral College Assembly held in the State Capitol Rotunda today at noon. After Governor Mark Dayton completed his remarks, Minnesota’s 10 Presidential Electors cast their ballots for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden before a crowd of over a hundred government officials, legislative leaders, students and members of the public.

“152 years ago Minnesota’s very first electors cast their ballots for President Abraham Lincoln. Our presidents have led our nation through foreign and civil wars, economic depressions and major natural disasters and they have celebrated our times of peace and prosperity. I thank Ma Lor, who is a senior at South High School in Minneapolis, for leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance and First Sergeant Robyn Major for singing our national anthem. I am honored to have presided over this historic presidential Electoral College assembly.”

Editor’s Note: The establishment of the Electoral College was a compromise by the authors of the U.S. Constitution between electing the President by a vote of Congress or by direct popular vote of the people. The process of selecting electors changed dramatically when the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed on June 15, 1804. This amendment expanded voting rights, and required that the popular vote be used to choose each state’s electors .The U.S. Constitution requires that electors in each state meet on this date to select the President and Vice President of the United States.